Dartmouth is commemorating the 70th anniversary of the climax of the Battle of Atlantic, with prayers of thanksgiving during a church service on Sunday.

Britannia Royal Naval College officer cadets will be joined by members of the Royal British Legion and other service veteran groups for the commemorative service in the college chapel.

Royal Navy Chaplain the Rev Andrew Hillier said: 'There is a common bond felt keenly by all seafarers who face what is sometimes a perilous existence.

'It is therefore entirely appropriate that our future sailors should join with those who have gone before, in commemorating both this victory over tyranny, and its terrible cost.'

With the main Battle of the Atlantic commemorations taking place in Liverpool this weekend, prayers will be said at naval services at sea and ashore to remember the sailors, airmen and merchant seaman who lost their lives.

The Atlantic campaign, the longest continuous struggle of the Second World War, waged from the first day of the war in September 1939 to the surrender of Germany in May 1945.

It reached its climax in the spring of 1943 when the Germans were forced to withdraw their U-boats temporarily from the battle, after suffering crippling losses in what became known as 'Black May'.

Although German submarines rejoined battle later that year, and fought to the bitter end, they never again posed such a threat to Britain's maritime life-lines.

But the cost of keeping the nation's supply routes open was fearful: over 36,000 merchant seamen lost their lives and 5,000 ships were sunk. The navy has a dedicated website for Battle of the Atlantic 70 – visit http://www.royal">www.royal navy.mod.uk.